Petunia plant named ‘KERTEAPIC’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Petunia  cultivar named ‘KERTEAPIC’ is disclosed, characterized by a spreading growth habit, and purple flowers with stable white rims. The plants flower freely and begin flowering under short day condition. The new variety is a  Petunia , normally produced as an outdoor garden or container plant.

Latin name of the genus and species: Petunia hybrida.

Variety denomination: ‘KERTEAPIC’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

‘KERTEAPIC’ is a product of a breeding and selection program forornamental Petunia varieties to be vegetatively propagated. The newplant of the present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar ofPetunia plant.

‘KERTEAPIC’ is a seedling resulting from the crossing of the unpatentedproprietary Petunia hybrida referred to as ‘13-301-1’ with the pollenparent, an unpatented, unnamed proprietary, Petunia hybrida, conductedin August 2013. The selection of the new variety was made in May 2014,by the inventor at a research greenhouse located in Cambridge, UK. Dateof first sale was Dec. 18, 2017, in the United States. This sale wasmade directly by the inventor or one who obtained the claimed inventiondirectly or indirectly from the inventor. This sale and all publicdisclosures made before the filing of this application fall within theexception allowed under 102(b)(1).

‘KERTEAPIC’ was first asexually reproduced by vegetative terminalcuttings at a research greenhouse in Cambridge, UK, September 2014. Thenew cultivar has been found to retain its distinctive characteristicsthrough successive asexual propagations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘KERTEAPIC’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, day length, and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘KERTEAPIC’ These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘KERTEAPIC’ as a new and distinct Petuniacultivar:

-   -   1. Stable white rim on purple flowers having a deep purple eye.    -   2. Day-length neutral flowering. Flower bud initiation occurs in        day lengths of less than 8 hours.    -   3. Spreading plant habit.    -   4. Free flowering habit.    -   5. Medium sized Petunia flowers.

PARENT COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘KERTEAPIC’ are similar to plants of the seedparent in most horticultural characteristics, however, plants of the newcultivar ‘KERTEAPIC’ differ in the following:

-   -   1. ‘13-301-1’ has an upright plant habit, while ‘KERTEAPIC’ has        a spreading plant habit.

Plants of the new cultivar ‘KERTEAPIC’ are similar to plants of thepollen parent in most horticultural characteristics however, plants ofthe new cultivar ‘KERTEAPIC’ differ in the following:

-   -   1. ‘KERTEAPIC’ has a stable white flower rim, the pollen parent        has an unstable picotee.    -   2. ‘KERTEAPIC’ produces flowers all over the plant, the pollen        parent does not produce flowers on the top of the plant.

COMMERCIAL COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘KERTEAPIC’ can be compared to the commercialvariety Petunia ‘Presto Purple Picotee’, unpatented. These varieties aresimilar in most horticultural characteristics; however, ‘KERTEAPIC’differs in the following:

-   -   1. ‘KERTEAPIC’ has a wider and more stable white picotee.    -   2. ‘KERTEAPIC’ has a more spreading, trailing plant habit than        this comparator.    -   3. ‘KERTEAPIC’ has different colored.    -   4. ‘KERTEAPIC’ has a more undulating flower margin.    -   5. Purple flower coloration of the new variety has a red-purple        flush not found in this comparator.

Plants of the new cultivar ‘KERTEAPIC’ can also be compared to thecommercial variety Petunia ‘Sunsurfpafure’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,616.These varieties are similar in most horticultural characteristics;however, ‘KERTEAPIC’ differs in the following:

-   -   1. Flower production of ‘KERTEAPIC’ begins earlier than        ‘Sunsurfpafure’.    -   2. ‘Sunsurfpafure’ has an upright plant habit, which then lodges        over to trailing, while ‘KERTEAPIC’ has a spreading plant habit        throughout the production cycle.    -   3. ‘KERTEAPIC’ has a larger, more stable white flower rim than        this comparator.    -   4. ‘KERTEAPIC’ has shorter branches than this comparator.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photograph in FIG. 1 illustrates in full color atypical plant of ‘KERTEAPIC’ grown in a greenhouse, in Cambridge, UnitedKingdom.

FIG. 2 illustrates in full color a typical mature flower of ‘KERTEAPIC’during Spring. Age of the plant photographed is approximately 60 daysfrom a rooted cutting in a 20 cm pot.

The photographs were taken using conventional techniques and althoughcolors may appear different from actual colors due to light reflectanceit is as accurate as possible by conventional photographic techniques.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart 2007 except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observationsand measurements describe ‘KERTEAPIC’ plants grown in greenhouse inCambridge, United Kingdom, under natural lighting. Measurements weretaken during April of 2018. The plants were approximately 16 weeks oldfrom a rooted cutting in a 1.5 liter pot. The growing temperature rangedfrom 20° C. to 35° C. during the days, 17° C. to 23° C. during thenights. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typicalplant types.

-   Botanical classification: Petunia hybrida ‘KERTEAPIC’.

PROPAGATION

-   Time to initiate roots: Approximately 10 days at 20° C.-   Root description: Fibrous, freely branching. White, to light tan,    not accurately measured with RHS chart.-   Time to produce a rooted cutting: About 21 to 28 days.

PLANT

-   Growth habit: Spreading, mounded.-   Pot size of plant described: 1.5 liter.-   Height: 14.0 cm to top of flowering plane.-   Plant spread: 35.0 cm.-   Growth rate: Moderate.-   Length of primary lateral branches: 39.3 cm.-   Diameter of lateral branches: 0.5 cm.-   Quantity of primary lateral branches: 5.-   Characteristics of primary lateral branches:    -   -   Color.—Young stem: RHS Yellow-Green 144B. Mature stem: RHS            Yellow-Green 146A.        -   Texture.—Densely pubescent.        -   Strength.—Medium to strong.-   Internode length: 2.63 cm.

FOLIAGE

-   Leaf:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate before flowering, then opposite.        -   Form.—Simple.        -   Quantity.—36 per main branch.        -   Average length.—3.3 cm.        -   Average width.—1.8 cm.        -   Shape of blade.—Ovate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Broad attenuate.        -   Margin.—Entire. Slightly undulating.        -   Texture of top surface.—Sparsely pubescent.        -   Texture of bottom surface.—Sparsely pubescent.        -   Color.—Young foliage upper side: Darker than RHS            Yellow-Green 146A, 146B. Young foliage under side: RHS            Yellow-Green 146C. Mature foliage upper side: RHS            Yellow-Green 146A. Mature foliage under side: RHS            Yellow-Green 146B.        -   Venation.—Type: Pinnate. Venation color upper side: Between            RHS Yellow-Green 144A. Venation color under side: RHS            Yellow-Green 146B.        -   Petiole.—Length: 0.5 cm. Diameter: 0.2 cm. Color: RHS            Yellow-Green 144A. Texture: Densely pubescent.

FLOWER

-   Natural flowering season: Spring and Summer in Cambridge, United    Kingdom.-   Days to flowering from rooted cutting: 21 to 28 days.-   Inflorescence and flower type and habit: Simple, salverform.-   Rate of flower opening: Typically about 2 days from bud to fully    opened flower.-   Flower longevity on plant: 7 to 8 days.-   Approximate quantity of flowers per plant: Average 22 flowers and 12    buds on a plant of this age.-   Persistent or self-cleaning: Self-cleaning.-   Bud:    -   -   Shape.—Oblong.        -   Length.—4.0 cm.        -   Diameter at apex.—2.1 cm.        -   Diameter at base.—0.4 cm.        -   Texture.—Densely pubescent.        -   Color.—RHS Purple N77B, venation N77A. Apex White N155A.-   Flower size:    -   -   Diameter.—6 cm.        -   Length.—About 4.0 cm.        -   Flower tube diameter at distal end.—About 2.0 cm.        -   Flower tube diameter at proximal end.—About 0.5 cm.-   Petals:    -   -   Length from tube.—2.9 cm.        -   Length of free portion.—1.4 cm.        -   Width.—2.8 cm.        -   Quantity.—5.        -   Shape.—Obovate.        -   Appearance.—Velvety.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Glabrous.        -   Texture, lower surface.—Densely pubescent.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Margin.—Entire, undulating.        -   Margin coloration amount.—Medium.        -   Lobing.—Strong.-   Color:    -   -   When opening.—        -   Upper surface.—Darker and richer than Purple N79C, flushed            Red-Purple 63A, with rim of NN155A and Green-White 157A.        -   Lower surface.—Richer than Purple N79C, slight venation of            N79A. Rim of Green-White 157B.        -   Fully opened.—        -   Upper surface.—Near RHS N79C, flushed Red-Purple N66A with            slight venation of N79A. Rim of 155C with 155A at apex.        -   Lower surface.—Near RHS Purple-Violet N81A with central vein            of N79A. Border of 155C with 155A at apex.        -   Flower throat (inside).—RHS Purple-Violet N80A.        -   Flower throat, vein.—RHS Violet-Blue N92C.        -   Flower tube (outside).—RHS Violet 83B.        -   Flower tube, vein (outside).—RHS Greyed-Purple N186B.-   Corolla tube:    -   -   Length.—3.1 cm.        -   Diameter at distal end.—2.0 cm.        -   Diameter at proximal end.—0.5 cm.        -   Texture, inner surface.—Glabrous.        -   Texture, outer surface.—Densely pubescent.-   Sepals:    -   -   Quantity per flower.—5 fused along lower half.        -   Shape.—Cuneate.        -   Length.—1.6 cm.        -   Width.—0.4 cm.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Texture, upper surfaces.—Sparsely pubescent.        -   Texture, upper surfaces.—Densely pubescent.        -   Color.—Upper Surface: Between RHS Yellow-Green 146A. Lower            Surface: RHS Yellow-Green 146B.-   Peduncle:    -   -   Strength.—Moderate.        -   Aspect.—60 degrees to stem.        -   Length.—2.0 cm.        -   Diameter.—2 mm.        -   Texture.—Densely pubescent.        -   Color.—Near RHS Yellow-Green 144A.-   Fragrance: None.

REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

-   Stamens:    -   -   Number.—5 partially fused to inside of corolla tube.        -   Length.—2 cm.        -   Filament length.—1.2 cm free section.        -   Filament color.—RHS Red-Purple 72B.-   Anthers:    -   -   Length.—3 mm.        -   Shape.—Reniform.        -   Color.—Near RHS Violet 85D.        -   Pollen.—Color: Near RHS Blue-Green 122C.-   Pistil:    -   -   Number.—1.        -   Length.—1.8 cm.        -   Style.—Length: 1.4 cm. Color: RHS Yellow-Green 144D.        -   Stigma.—Shape: Linear. Color: RHS Yellow-Green 145A. Ovary            Color: RHS Yellow-Green N144A.

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

-   Seeds and fruits: Not observed to date.-   Disease/pest resistance: Neither resistance nor susceptibility to    the normal diseases and pests of Petunia have been observed. Typical    well-known diseases include: Botrytis cineria, Fusarium, Pythium,    Phytophthora, and Rhizoctonia species. Typical well-known pests    include: Leaf miners, spider mites, thrips and possibly    caterpillars.-   Temperature tolerance: Tolerates a range between 5° C. to 40° C.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plantnamed ‘KERTEAPIC’ as herein illustrated and described.